Main menu

You are here

‘Tales and Tails’ gets kids excited about reading

Ninjas, fairies, Frankenstein and even a monkey ran amok before stories tamed the wild beasts.

Melissa Topey

Huron

Oct 21, 2013

The Firelands Montessori Academy on Saturday afternoon hosted Tales and Tails: A storytelling festival for children (of all ages) who wanted to be told a story.

One of about a hundred of those children in attendance was 4-year-old Gia Munafo, dressed in a monkey costume and playing before the readings began.

“We are excited about reading,” said her mother, Megan Munafo, who is also on the board of trustees for the school. And anything to promote literacy for children is important, she said.

Heather Gray was one of the organizers for the event. “Storytelling in an age-old tradition hat is so powerful,” Gray said “In our current society with technology, as wonderful as it is, it is good to get back to basics.”

She said Montessori and storytelling go hand in hand. “Montessori is very much about the natural child and storytelling is such a natural tradition,” Gray said.

The schedule boasted of six storytellers and musicians before ending with an interactive workshop by the Cheryl Crane Youth Theater.

Judy White, a Bellevue storyteller and retired librarian, was on hand to tell the tale of “The Wonderful Shrinking Shirt” by Leone Anderson.

White has been a storyteller for four decades.

“It is wonderful. Their eyes light up,” White said. “I encourage kids to read. The stories I tell encourage them to be storytellers themselves.”